One of the more vocal Eels members, after grilling chairman Steve Sharp at Parramatta's annual general meeting, concluded with the words: "A vote against the resolution is not a vote against Bill Moss."

And that's how it played out. No, the howls of protest that resulted in four special resolutions being defeated on Monday were an ''up yours'' to Sharp and his board.

Less than half a per cent of eligible members attended the 56th – and perhaps fieriest – AGM in the club's history, with many of those voting in blocks loyal to former chairman Roy Spagnolo and, to a lesser extent, Denis Fitzgerald. The pair have been at loggerheads since the former ousted the latter but, for the first time in many years, they agreed on one thing: they had no confidence in Sharp's chairmanship.

The result was a basket case of a club, which could ill afford to say no to esteemed businessman Moss, did just that.

By putting forward Moss' name as his preference to become an eighth ''independent'' director, Sharp politicised his potential appointment. In the unstable political environment of the blue and golds, the move was destined to fail.

Former premiership-winning forward Terry Leabeater could see what was coming. He spoke to Moss for 45 minutes on Saturday, warning him it would end like this.

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What Leabeater, a vocal critic of the current regime, didn't see coming was his own position at the meeting being hijacked. Your correspondent was sitting next to him when he was ejected from the auditorium, his membership revoked on the spot. The meeting hadn't even started and there was drama.

"They said I was barred for 'conduct unbecoming' for sending Steve Sharp a text message," said Leabeater, who recently handed back his 1986 premiership jersey in disgust over the termination of several staffers.

"When I walked out the front I put my voting paddle on his paperwork. He didn't even look at me.

"It's a political thing. It had nothing to do with what I said to him to keep me away from asking questions they didn't have answers for.

"They may try to ban me for life, but it will only be for the life of his chairmanship. I'll be eating Chinese in Tingha Palace next week."

Already Sharp is a man under pressure.

Fitzgerald, who knows the constitution back to front after his reign as the ''Emperor'' of Parramatta, took Sharp to task over a motion to extend the term of future boards from two to three years. In an embarrassing back-down, the board heeded his warnings and refrained from putting the motion to members.

Yet, while company secretary and chief executive officer Paul Bevan said a motion, which sought for the chairman to be paid a $60,000 honorarium was an "error", it was put to the floor anyway. This despite the fact the Manly chairman, for instance, doesn't receive a dime in his position. That motion, like most things on the night, was shouted down.

"I was rung up by people who said tonight would be a disaster; people will come to vote down every motion," Moss said.

"Well, if people are organised to vote down motions, it tells you something is not right. I'm a simple guy – I want to win a premiership. I want a leagues club that's profitable and has a future. The members represent the fans – or do they? That's a very good question."